Gas burner



Oct. 7, 1952 R. c. WRIGHT 2,612,943

' GAS BURNER F'i led Aug. 11, 1948 "5 ShaetS-Sh'et 1 RICHARD QWRIGHT Oct. 7, 1952' R. c. WRlG HT 12,943

'GASBURNER Filed Aug. 11, 1948 5 shew-sheet 2 4/5 TUE k, RlCHARD c. WRIGHT TTURA/ZV R. C. WRIGHT Oct. 7, 1 952 GAS BURNER 5' sheets-sheet 4 Filed Aug. 11, 1948 /NZ/E-N FU RKCHARD (QWRIGHT R. C. WRIGHT Oct. 7, 1952 GAS BURNER Filed Aug. 11, 1948 "5 Sheets-Sheet 5 R U T M W RICHARD C. WRIGHT Patented Oct. 7, 1952 Cleveland; Ohio GAS BURNER Richard clwri ht, Ba Village, Ohio, assignor to Iron Fireman Manufacturing Company,

Application August 11, 1948, Serial No. 43,705

j My invention relatesigenerallyj to gas burners and more. particularly to automatically controlled gasburners for residential heating plants. 7

It is'a principal object of this invention to so;

vide a .gas burner for a residential heating plant whichcan be applied with a minimum of expense and with high heat transfer eiiiciency not only to furnaces and boilers especiallyconstructed for use with this burner but also to" the many types of furnaces and boilers now in use. 7 3i A second objectis to provide an automatic gas burner combining the simplicity of construction and ease of control of the so-called luminous flame type of gas burner with the short flame and the horizontal spread of the radiant heat source previously accomplished only with the Bunsen type of gas burner. e v A third object is to provide. a gas burner which can be readily installed as a conversion burner in previously installed heating plants of almost nytim A fourth objectis to provide a gas burnerwhich can be efliciently and economically applied to heatingplants having combustion chambers of the vertical drum type and of relatively small c Claims. (01. 158--7) 2 nous flame type having means therein forcontrolling the supply of gas .to the burner and for directing the gas at relatively high velocity into the primary combustion chambertoaidbydnduction .thefiow of combustion air into .the pria mary combustion chamber. v v

it A twelfth object is-to provide a. gas burner with a primary combustion chamber and. a secondary combustion chamber and in which all of theiair it and all of thegasrenters the primary combustion chamber without pre-mixing where it is mixed and ignited and partially burned andin which the burningof the air-gas ignited mixture is completed in the secondary combustion chamber.

A thirteenth object is to provide a gas burner with a burner. headflfor liquid petroleumatype diameter and yet attain an even distributionof heat vertically along the drum.

j A fifth object is to provide a .gas burner with a highly radiant horizontal hearth.

A sixth object is toprovlde a gas burnerwitli a. hollow refractory hearth includingwithin itself a primary air-gas mixingand combustion chamber.

A seventh object is to provide a gas burner with a hollow refractory hearth including interiorly thereof means for attaining rapidly high concentrations of heat t o assure complete and immediate ignition of the gas-air mixture in the primary combustion space. An eighth object is to provide a gas burner with a segmental refractory hollow hearth forease in assembly of the hearth and forgreatenduw gases having means therein for conditioningthis type of gas with air to form a. gas air mixture approximating the combustion characteristics of either natural or manufactured gas as selected and then directing the conditioned gas mixture at relatively high velocity into the primary com,- bustion chamber to aid by induction the fiowjof combustion. air into the primary combustion chamber. V v How these and other objects are attained will be understood. on reference to the following {description and drawings in which:

V Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of my J assembled into a cast iron residential furnaceof common type but Ifwlth part of the furnace and burner cut away to show the essential relation of the elements.

.Fig. 2 is a fragmental side elevation section of the assembly of Fig. '1. e 1 Fig. 3 is avlewlin perspective of my burner as sembled into a modern gas burning residential furnace but with part of the furnace and burner s partial cutaway to show the essential relation of the elements. 3

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the iloorof the air box or burner plenumchamber of the furnace of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal. section along the line 5-5 of Fig. 3. I

Fig.6 is a perspective view of the draft limiting orifice plateshown at the entrance to thesmoke pipe of Fi 3.

Fig.7 is a fragmental vertical section through the burner assembly of Fig. 3.

Fig. 8 is afragmental plan view of the tile as? sembly of Fig.3 with avpartial section along the line 8-8 of Fig. 7 f

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the main gas line to the burner .head of Fig. 3 showing particularly the means for locating the burner head and the pilot light assembly.

Fig. is a vertical section through the burner head of Figs. 1 and 3 showing its assembly with the gas controlling orifice discs and the main gas line.

Fig. 11 is a side elevation, half in section, of the burner head of Figs. 1 and 3 when the burner head is designed to burn liquid petroleum type gases.

Fig. 12 is a side elevation of one of the hearth refractory segments of Figs. 1 and 3.

Fig. 13 is a plan view in partial section of one of the hearth refractory segments of Figs. 1 and 3.

Fig. 14 is a fragmental horizontal sectional sectional view (looking upward from inside one of the hearth refractory segments of Figs. l and 3).

Fig. 15 is a fragmental perspective view (upside down) of one of the grating bars formed in the top of one of the hearth refractory segments of Figs. land l Like numbers of referencerefer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views. (Referring now to the drawings, in Figs. 1 and 2, the door front casting'of .a common type of cast iron furnace is shownat 26 assembled with body'base casting 2!, lower combustion chamber casting 2 2 and second combustion chambercasting 23. .The outer air casting 24 is shown assembled to front 2|] and lower casing ring 25 resting on floor 26 in the usual manner. Gas

supply pipe 21 cornesup through floor 26 and connects to .main gas shut oif valve 28 from which gas pipe 29 carries on to the automatic gas controls concealed in practice for better appearance by the enclosure 30. Since these gas contion slab 58 having a circular hole formed therein and limited by edge 59 concentric with but tr'ols are well known in the. art and not part of my invention, they are not illustrated.

- Pilot gas line 3| is shown taking off from the inlet side of main valve 28 through pilot line shut-off valve 32. Since the pilot light and controls are equipment well known in the art and I not part of my invention they are not further illustrated except that the pilot line to the burner is indicated at 33 on Fig. 3 and the support 34 for the pilot light head is shown attached to gas line pipe 35 in Fig. 9.

Enclosure 3% is supported ena basic plate to which two vertical webs 36 are welded. Vtelded across the ends of webs 36 is angle 31. The base plate of enclosure 3|! is supported from iloor26 by an adjustable leg (not shown). As the main gas pipe 29 proceeds through enclosure 30 connecting the, various gas controls it is supported by pipe supporting brackets 38 (only one shown) which are clamped to the base plate structure by bolts 39 and to pipe 29 by set screws 40.

Inside the furnace base 2| is an air box shown generally as 4| having bottom 42 welded to cross bar 43 through holes in which are inserted supporting legs 44 held at the desired length by set screws 45 in bar 43.

,can be adjustably closed by damper 46 hingedlv Top'plate 46 of'box 4| is longer than bottom 42 and parallel sides 41' are 6 supported on bracket 49 welded to top 46.

Damper 46 is slotted to clear pipe 29 and is pressed in an open direction by spring 56 pressing against bracket 5! fastened to top 46 and against damper 48 through a hole in which screw 52 is inserted threading spring and tapped into bracket 5|. Top 46 of air box 4| has a of smaller diameter than edge 53. In practice, slab 58 is made segmentally.

Guided by cup 55 and resting on insulating slab 58 is hollow segmental refractory hearth shown generally as 60 and whose details of con struction are shown more particularly in Figs. 11 to 14. The space above hearth plate 51, out: side and surrounding cup 55 and burner re-j fractory 6B, is filled out to the inside of the furnace body section 22 and approximately to the level of the top of burner refractory 66 with in.-

' sulating material I00 such as a good plastic refractory to entirely seal the hearth against leakage of air as wellas to form'a heat, reflecting surface;

The horizontal distance from the vertical center line of the burner refractory to the front face of the furnace door frame is carefully measured and the length of the gas pipe 29 e'xtending into the furnace is cut to proper length and threaded for assembly to elbow 6| which is welded to angle iron 62 having holes therein for receiving assembly bolts 63 inserted. through mating holes in bottom 42 and bar 43. Burner head is assembled to stand pipe 64 clamping therebetween orifice disc 66, '(see Fig. 10), and standpipe 64 is assembled to elbow 6| assembled to pipe 29 which includes a pipe union just inside the enclosure 30. For assembly set screw 4!) is loosened, bolts 39 are removed, pipe .29 .is broken at the union, screw 52 is removed, damper 48 is lifted off hinge member 45 and pipe 29 is tipped upward at its outer end to allow the insertion into position through air box 4| of the burner head 65 assembled with standpipe G4,

elbow 6| and the end section of pipe 29. With the burner head in place, bolts 63 are used to secure this pipe assembly securely to the air box and with the supporting leg of the base enclosure 30 adjusted to proper height pipe 29 is recoupled at its union, bolts 39 again fasten bracket 38 toproper length, is used toclamp the door frame I 20 between angles 31 and 6? by means of bolts 68.

I As above noted, the burner refractory hearth shown generally as Gills of hollow segmental construction shown in detail in Figs. 11. to 14. The number of segments used to make a complete burner hearth is a matter .of choice in design. In a smaller size burner, the individual segment may be one fourth of the complete hearthas shown in plan view in Fig. 12. The radiant" tile segment is shown to be made of single piece hollow construction and formed with a vertical cylindrical back side 69, two plane radial vertical sides 76 and horizontal parallel top and bottom sides ii and 12 respectively.

Where needed because the The top H is essentially pie-shaped covering the angle between the sides and extending from the back inwardly to nearly" the vertical center line where its point is cut off to form in the complete hearth assembly a polygonalhole of approximatelythe radial size of burner head 65. The bottom 12 covers the angle between the sides 10 and extends from the back inwardly to the circumference of a circle concentric with the back and having the approximate diameter of the central hole ininsulatingslab 58. Sides 10 extend vertically and radially covering approximately the three sided opening bounded by back 69 to top H and bottom 12. Formed into top H are a plurality'of arcuate slots 13 separated radially by arcuate grating bars H and angularly by sides 10 and radial spokes 15. Formed dependentfrom bars 14 and spokes 15 are cones I6 covering substantially the complete under sides of membersld and 15.

Burner head 65 has formed therein radialgas ports ll directed. outwardly and substantially horizontally, although it is sometimes desirable to direct these ports outwardly and slightly downwardly.

Assuming that the burner has been properly installed with all gas and electrical connections madeand that the pilot light is in operation and properly adjusted, a call for heat will be followed by an opening of the automatic gas valve (control equipment not shown) and gas under regulated pressure will be introduced into pipe 64 from-which pipe gas, at a ratefixed to match the heat. requirements of the furnace by the size of the hole in'orifice disc 66, will be discharged under pressure through ports 11 into the hollow interior or primary combustion space of refractory; hearth 60 after being. ignited by the pilot flame (not shown) standing along side pipe 64 and burner head 65. Due to the natural draft of the furnace, air will be. entering airbox 4| through its front opening in an amount .controlled by the adjusted position of damper 48. Natural dra-ft, gas velocity from ports. 11 and gas expansion, due to the heat of combustion, combine to induce a greater flow of air upward from. air box 4|. into the primary combustion space whereall of the gas is mixed with air and intense combustion takes place. The flaming gases, under the influence of natural draft and gasvelocity', leave the primary combustion space throughs1ots13 in top H of hearth 60 and combustion is completed in the secondary combustionfspace immediately above. and adjacentto top H. Dependent conesor stalactites 16 have a salutary effect on the combustion process because of their aid in the air gas mixing process and because intense thermal concentrations form rapidly at the'apices of these cones and assure rapid and complete ignition of the air'gas mix ture.

Itshould be noted that orifice'disc 66 could belocated and clamped in place at any joint in the 'gas supply line where a pipe fitting is used toconnect two sections of the line. But the location of orifice disc 66 is not haphazard. I

l have discovered that with natural gas'the location of orifice disc 66, as shown in Fig. 10', is especially desirable, while with manufacturedigas I'prefer to locate orifice disc. 66 at some other joint'in gas line 29 rather than under the head as shown in Fig. 10. p

Attention should be given also to the construction of theburner head shown in Fig. 11 which ticularly useful with some gases, particularly the centrally located tank supply and pipes distributing the gas to the user. For reasons not pertinent here the bottled gas that is usually, sold the user is mainly propane while the liquid petroleum type gas furnishedthrough a pipe distribution system is usually a form of butane. But either of these gases in their raw state have heatcontents of the order of 2000 B. t. u. per cubicfoot while natural gas has a heat content ofthe order of 1000 B. t. u. per cubic foot and manufactured gas has a heat content of the order of 500 B. t. u. per 'cubic foot. I

It will be understood that in the 'heatxrange of the manufactured and natural gases, the utili; zation equipment may be adapted to the gas by using burner heads. with ports of diiferent'sizes to suit the particular gas and the particular load. But it is not practical to include the liquid petroleum gasesin this category. Either special burners must be provided or the gases must be diluted to bring theirheat contents within the range of the natural and manufactured gases. The distributor of liquid petroleum gas with a pipe distribution system dilutes his gas with ,air at his central point .of distribution. This is safe because the diluted gas still has an air gas ratio far below the explosion air gasratio.

For bottled gas not previously diluted, 1 have discovered that mynovel burner headsho wn' in Fig. llisiparticularly useful. This head is a one piece pipecap I01 which threads gas tight onto gas supply pipe 64. Between concentric skirts I08 and I0! depending from top H0? is formed an annular'space communicating at its lower end with the stream of'air entering the primary combustion space'of the burner, communicating with the raw gas supply in the interior of the head through small ports III in skirt I08, and communicating with the interior of the primary-combustion space through larger ports H2 in skirt I09. In operation; raw gasof high B. t. u. content is jetted from the interior of the burner head throughports Ill and en.-

trains sufiicient air as it passes through the space between skirts I08 and llldand as it passes through larger ports H2 todilute the gas sufficiently to cause it to act as though-it were a natural or manufacturedgas of lower 13; t. u. content as it is emitted from ports H2 into the primary combustion space.

Having thus fully explained. the basic conheight, each offset to meet the otherandboth circumferentially welded together at top and bottom. The inner shell of radiator 82 communicates throughout its height with chamber 8| by means of a passageway interior of tube 83 having gas tight connection at one end to chamber 8! and at the other to radiator 82. Tube 8 3 welded gas tightto the outer shell of radiator 82 forms the combustion gas outlet from radiator 82 for which purpose it is flange connected to smoke pipe 85 which leads to a draft diverter (not shown) as is common practice on all approved gas furnaces. Between the flanged ends of tube 84 and pipe 85, draft controllingorifice disc 86 is clamped. If desired, casing l8 may also be clamped between the flanged endsof tube 84 andpipe 85 as shown. Similarly flanged tube 81, welded to the outer shell of radiator 82 above tube 84 and having its outer end closedby solid disc 88, forms a cleanout opening for radiator 82.

Combustion chamber 8| is closed gas tight at its top with a welded-in head (not shown) and at the bottom with a welded-in disc 89 having a central hole communicating with air box 80. Also for installation and service purposes, combustion chamber 8| communicates laterally near its bottom end with air box BDthrough an opening of convenient size normally closed by cover 99 fastened substantially air tight to chamber 8| by nuts (not shown) on studs (not shown) fixed to chamber 8| and passing through holes (not shown) in cover 90. v

Air box 80 communicates laterally with the atmosphere outside the furnace casing through louvres in air box door 9|. Casing ii? is fixed gas tight to flange 92 around outer end of air box. i

The furnace body is supported on the floor 26 by vertical channel 93 welded to combustion chamber 8| and horizontal angle 94 welded to bottom 95 of air box 80.

Insulating slab 96,. refractory primary combustion chamber 68 and barrel stave baffle tile 87 are assembled into combustion chamber 8| through the opening inchamber 8| under cover 90. Gas line 35, complete with burner head, gas orifice disc and pilot burner accessories .(not shown), is guided into position between angle clips 98 fixed to bottom $5 of air box 39 and secured in proper position by nut 99 on a stud welded to bottom 95 and passing through hole H in bracket I02 welded to pipe 35. Ears H13 of plate H14 welded to pipe 35 rest against the upright flanges I65 of angles I86 welded to bottom 95 of air box 80. i

.In this case where the furnace and burner are designed for combination use, the hole in gas orifice disc 66 issized to admit just the right amount of gas for the capacity of the furnace and air orifice disc 86 has its orifice sized so that in combination with the air resistance through the louvres in door. 9| and through primary combustion chamber til, the air is limited to a practical excess over the amount required for perfect combustion of the gas introduced.

Baffle tile Bl are for the purpose of limiting the amount of heat applied directly to the walls of chamber 8| and the design of these tile has been discovered to give a practically uniform temperature to the walls of the chamber ti throughout their-height, which is a great improvement over the results obtained with vertical baffle tile of the type ordinarily used for combustion chamber protection.

' It is believed that from the foregoing explanation and drawings the construction" and many advantages of my gas burner both when used as a so-called conversion burner and as a combination furnace-burner unit, and while I realize that there are many gas burners and combinations well known in the art and to which I lay no claim, I do intend to hold for myself the many novel and useful constructions which I have illustrated and described and which I claim as follows: i

1. Fuel gas burning means comprising in combination an'air box, a primary combustion chamber, a secondary combustion chamber, a first passageway means for conducting atmospheric air into said air box, a second passageway means connecting the top of said air box with the bottom of said primary combustion chamberfor the purpose of conducting combustion air from said air box centrally into said primary combustion chamber, means for conducting non-aerated fuel gas through said air box and centrally'and vertically into said primary combustion chamber, means for discharging said non-aerated fuel gas centrally and substantially horizontally outwardly in multiple streams under regulated pressure into said primary combustion chamber and therey inducing a flow of combustion air from said air box into said primary combustion chamber, means for igniting said air and gas mixture in said primary combustion chamber, multiple passageways through the top of said primary combustion chamber for conducting combusting gases through the top of said primary combustion chamber and into said secondary combustion chamber, passageway means from said secondary combustion chamber to the atmosphere, means for regulating the flow of air and combustion gases through all said passageways, and means for regulating the flow of non-aerated fuel gas in said gas conducting means.

2. Ina fuel gas burning furnace of the type having a combustion chamber with means for introducing fuel gas in multiple horizontal streams into said combustion chamber and means for introducing air into said combustion chamber,

' means for igniting the mixture of air and gas in said combustion chamber, means for regulating the supply of said fuel gas and said air to said combustion chamber, and means for discharging burnt gas from said combustion chamber, the improvement in which a horizontally extending vertically multiple perforated ceramic barrier means is provided to divide said combustion chamber into a lower primary space in which the combustion of said fuel gas and air is initiated and an upper secondary space in Which the combustion of. said fuel gas and air is completed.

3. Fuel gas burning means comprising in combination, a primary combustion chamber, a sec.- ondary combustion chamber above said primary combustion chamber, a substantially horizontal barrier means separating said primary combustion chamber from said secondary combustion chamber, a first passageway means for conducting air into said primary combustion chamber, means for conducting fuel gas through said first passageway, means for discharging said fuel gas centrally and substantially horizontally outwardly in multiple streams into said primary combustion chamber, means for igniting the air and gas mixture in said primary combustion chamber, multiple passageway means vertically perforating said barrier for conducting burning gases from said primary combustion. chamber to said secondary combustion chamber, means for conducting burnt gases from said secondary combustion chamber to the atmosphere, means for regulating the air supplied to said first passageway, and means for regulating the fuel gas supply to said primary chamber.

4. Fuel gas burning means comprising in combination, a vertically extending secondary combustion chamber, a pair of vertically spaced substantially horizontal ceramic members comprising means forming a primary combustion chamber below said secondary combustion chamber, the upper one of said members being adapted to form a bottom boundary for said secondary combustion chamber, said upper one of said members being vertically perforated for conducting burning gases therethrough, the lower one of said members being formed with a central hole therein for the purpose of conducting combustion air therethrough, means for conducting fuel gas through said central hole, means for discharging said fuel as centrally and substantially horizontally outwardly into said primary combustion chamber, means for igniting the air and gas mixture in said primary combustion chamber, means for conducting burnt gases from said secondary combustion chamber to the atmosphere, means for regulating the supply of combustion air to said primary combustion chamber, and means for regulating the fuel gas supply to said primary combustion chamber.

5. Fuel gas burning means comprising in combination, a secondary combustion chamber, passageway means from said secondary combustion chamber to the atmosphere, ceramic means forming a substantially horizontal bottom boundary for said secondary combustion chamber, said bottom boundary means being provided with a plurality of passageways therethrough for conducting burning gases across said boundary, means including said boundary means forming a primary combustion chamber below said secondary combustion chamber, means for conducting combustion air to said primary combustion chamber, means for conducting fuel gas into said primary combustion chamber, means for discharging said fuel gas from said fuel gas conducting means substantially horizontally in said primary combus tion chamber, means for igniting said air and gas mixture in said primary combustion chamber, means for regulating the supply of combustion air to said primary combustion chamber, and means for regulating the supply of fuel gas to said primary combustion chamber.

combustion chamber, means for igniting said air and gas mixture in said primary combustion chamber, multiple passageways through the top of said primary combustion chamber for conducting combusting gases from said primary combustion chamber to said secondary combustion chamber, and passageway means from said secondary combustion chamber to the atmosphere.

RICHARD C. WRIGHT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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